Gateway Technical College and Cardinal Stritch University today signed an agreement giving Gateway graduates a more convenient and seamless pathway to earn a bachelor and master’s degree at Stritch.

The effort marks another way the two institutions are working together to provide added options for today’s students to gain the education, and career, they seek.

The agreement provides Gateway associate degree graduates the opportunity to transfer credits they’ve earned and apply them to a Stritch degree, which saves them money and builds on the education and skills they’ve already gained.

The initial effort focuses on business career programs Stritch offers, specifically a bachelor’s degree in Business and Master of Business Administration degree. Other programs may be added in the future.

"Business Management is one of the largest programs at Gateway, so we know there is interest in this field in our community,” said Gateway Executive Vice President/Provost Zina Haywood. “Our goal is to provide our students seamless, convenient, higher education opportunities and to promote lifelong learning. This partnership is truly a win for Gateway and our students and a win for Cardinal Stritch University.  The possibilities are endless.”

“Expanding the educational and career opportunities available to students and the greater Racine, Kenosha and Elkhorn communities is at the heart of this collaborative agreement,” said Cardinal Stritch University President James P. Loftus. “This articulation agreement provides an academic and career pathway for students to reach a higher earning potential and helps provide a talented workforce to meet the growing need in the business community. It’s a partnership for education, a partnership for jobs, and a partnership for a better community. We are extremely pleased to be working with Gateway Technical College.”

The flexible agreement provides graduates many ways to earn their Stritch degree: online, onsite or a combination of the two.

The partnership provides a very clear pathway to a bachelor’s degree, and then master’s degree. The agreement is called an A,B,M, which means approved Gateway associate degree graduates will be able to earn a Stritch bachelor’s degree as well as the correlating master’s degree – again, all courses available on a Gateway campus or online.

Students can benefit from the resources of both institutions. Stritch academic advisers will be on campus periodically to assist students, and Gateway graduates enrolled in the Stritch program will still have access to Gateway libraries, open labs and tutoring.

Gateway and Stritch currently have 17 transfer agreements.